A Chance
by Rising Phoenixx
Summary: What happens when two friends find a secret time machine in the ruins of the Shinra building? Can they survive in the past long enough to survive? Time Travel fic R
1. Chapter 1

**Well here's my newest fanfic! It's my first Final Fantasy VII story and my first time travel story so please no harsh reviews! It takes during Crisis Core and it kind of goes into the storyline so it can't be AU. I own nothing of FF except for my OCs. This story will be told in various POVs, both my OCs and the original characters.**

**Anyway, enough of my lecture. Enjoy the story! :D**

Chapter 1: Why Are We Friends Again?

**Melody POV**

"Hey, Melody! Heads up!"

On instinct, I whirled around and snatched an object out of the air just before it collided with my head. Bringing my hand down, I studied the dull, gray orb that lay in my palm. It almost looked like…

"Zana, is this materia?" I asked as my childhood friend came to stand next to me.

"I'm not sure, to be honest," Zana admitted and shook her head, causing her blond curls to bounce. "Kinda looks like it though, am I right?"

"It's the year 0483; materia doesn't exist anymore." I pointed out, gazing at the object. "Where'd you find this?"

"In my backyard," Zana answered, trying to take the sphere from me. "It looks dull doesn't it? That makes it really old, right?"  
I took my eyes off of the materia to look at her. "Zana, materia loses its color when it runs out of power. Materia can last forever."

"Then how come it doesn't exist anymore, hmm?" She asked, countering my statement.

I was silent for a moment. "Touché, my friend."

Zana giggled at my response but leaned in close and whispered, "We're still going to the ruins of Midgar, right?"

I pushed her away playfully. "Yes, we're going _tomorrow._" I replied, putting emphasis on tomorrow.

"Aww, why can't we go today? Right now?" Zana whined as I began to walk away.

"Because we have classes to attend," I answered.

"Ew! Boring! I mean, what more do we know about Don Corneo or ALVANCHE? They're unexciting and uninteresting! The only person I need and want to know about is the handsome Sephiroth!" Zana ranted as she fell in step with me.

"He tried to destroy the world," I reminded her.

"And?" Zana remarked and attempted to steal the materia from me again. "He's smart and calculating, not to mention super sexy."

I stopped walking and placed my hands on my hips. "You want me to tell who's really sexy? I'm going to quote something he said and you have to guess who said it. If you get it right I'll give your materia back and we'll even go to Midgar."

Zana smirked at me. "Bring it," she prompted.

"'I'll control the world with fear. It takes too much to do it like my old man. A little fear will control the minds of the common people. There's no reason to waste money on them.'"

"Ha! That's too easy! Rufus Shinra." Zana replied snatching the materia from me.

"So I guess you do have some form of intelligence," I stated, earning a sharp punch from my friend.

"Say whatever you want, you owe me now." Zana said and linked her arm with mine. "Come on, best friend, we've got some ruins to visit!"

"Dammit," was I could say before Zana began to lead me to the edge of, well, Edge. Naturally, she made us walk through what could be considered the slums. Zana pulled me behind her and led me through the dark slimy alleys. I couldn't stand walking through all of the poverty and filth and Zana knew it. But, in her mind, Zana comes first and she absolutely loved this part of Edge. Not only was it the easiest way out of the city but it also allowed her to show off her wealth and status.

Zana and I were part of the upper class; we were the elite with everything we desired. We were filthy rich and boy did Zana love to remind everyone that! That was also the other reason she chose to travel through here, so that we could remind the poor that we were rich and powerful.

Honestly, sometimes I hated my best friend.

"Melody, come here! You won't believe what I'm seeing!"

"Ugh, do I have to?" I mumbled and tore my eyes away from the magnificent Shinra Headquarters. Well, what remained of the awesome building.

"Oh, Melody! I've found the entrance to the Shinra Building!" Zana called in a singsong voice. "But if you don't feel like coming over here then I guess I'll just go look around somewhere else."

"Dammit, you win!" I shouted as I raced to where she was.

And, for once, Zana wasn't lying about what she had found. She stood, her hands on her hips, cocking her head in the direction of the front doors. Sure the doors were no longer there but who cares? I finally had the chance to go into the greatest building ever.

"I love you forever!" I said to Zana as I walked past her. She smirked but made no response. Instead she slowly followed me as I marveled at my surroundings.

We stood together as I gazed around the lobby of the Shinra building. Honestly, it looked better in photographs but I was still awed at the sight. The room was dirty and dark with plants growing up out of the floor. Banners with "Shinra Electric Power Company" printed on them lay torn and tattered on the floor and the ones that still hung on the walls had slashes going through them. Glass and other debris littered the floor and we were forced to watch where we stepped as we continued into the building.

We made our way up the first staircase and continued to explore our new playground. Once we had reached the top, Zana spotted the elevators and skipped over to them. To my surprise, she actually pushed the button and waited for the doors to open. When the door didn't open, she pushed the button three more times before returning to me.

"Melody, the doors won't open!" Zana cried.

"Gee, I wonder why," I muttered rolling my eyes.

"Yeah, me too," Zana replied.

I stared at her in disbelief. "You're such a retard."

"How are we supposed to get to the top floors if the elevators don't work, miss smart ass?" Zana asked, angry at what I had said.

"Well you know, professor, they invented this handy thing before elevators. They're called 'stairs'." I replied walking towards another staircase.

"Well, you're kind of, you know, a bitch." Zana retorted but followed me nevertheless. "So where are we going now?"

"The Science Department floor," I answered.

"But that's on the sixty-seventh floor!" Zana exclaimed.

"Then I suggest you get ready for some walking." I responded, not looking back.

Numerous floors and several breaks later, we arrived at our destination. I quickly ran around, beginning my investigation of the area while Zana sank to the floor. The whole Science floor was in more disarray than the ground floor, probably because it was so close to the top floor which had been blasted by the Diamond Weapon centuries previous.

As I stumbled my way through the obstacles I came to a closed door. The door bothered me for some reason and I pushed it open. Inside, the room looked like the rest of the floor; pieces of the ceiling were on the floor and most of the equipment looked badly damaged. Still, something still didn't seem right so I stepped inside.

The moment I stepped into the room a computer screen came to life. "That's not possible." I said to myself as I approached the computer.

The monitor whizzed and shut off, but turned on again and a bunch of zeros and ones flashed across the screen.

"Necessary power acquired. Please select destination." Came a voice from the computer.

"What?" I asked.

The computer beeped. "Destination not selected. Please present item of destination."

"Wait, what?" I asked again.

That moment Zana appeared. "Melody look at what I found! It's a keycard but it's broken. Someone must have broken it." She turned her attention to the computer. "Melody is that computer on? How'd you get power to it?"

"Zana shut up for a minute." I said to her.

"No, oh hell no! We walked sixty-seven fucking flights and you could get power? Why didn't you put power into the fucking elevators?" Zana yelled coming up behind me.

"Shut the fuck up, Zana! Please, just for five minutes!" I growled back to her.

Before Zana could reply the computer beeped again. "Object confirmed. Preparing system for time jump."

"D-Did it just say 'time jump'?" Zana asked, clutching my arm.

Suddenly, a beam of light shot out of the computer and zapped us. I felt an electric current rush through me and I screamed. Zana squeezed my arm even tighter, her nails digging into my skin, and she screamed as well. Then, we felt our bodied being thrown this way and that and eventually I passed out.

**Yeah, I know, it sucks. Don't remind me. :P Anyway don't forget to review!**


	2. Chapter 2

** Okay, so here's chapter 2! I felt really happy while writing this chapter, probably because my favorite hero starts it off. ^.^ Anyway, enjoy!**

Chapter 2: No Way, it's Not Possible

**Cloud's POV**

I let out another weary sigh as I began my rounds around Sector 8. It wasn't that I hated watch, I actually found it pretty fun, but sometimes it got just a little boring. Especially in the upper sectors; nothing exciting ever happened. It was at times like these that I wish I had passed that SOLDIER exam.

As I passed by an alley, something caught my eye. I stopped and poked my head in. In the dim light I was able to see the silhouette of a person. I wasn't able to tell if it was a man or woman and I wasn't sure what to do.

Eventually I called out to the figure. "Um, excuse me? Are you alright?"

When the person didn't respond I stepped further into the alley and reached back for my flashlight. That's when I remembered that I had loaned it to one of my friends. Shit. I continued down the alley anyway. Light or no light, I needed to get the person out.

I knew I had reached to person because my foot bumped into their leg. "Sorry," I muttered automatically and kneeled next to the figure. I wrapped my arms around the person's back and under their legs and carried them out bridal style. I knew it was women then or possibly a man who was very underweight; the person was as light as air.

When I had got back into the light, I looked down at the person in my arms and saw that I was carrying the most beautiful girl in the world. She was very small probably five foot four and had fiery red hair that flowed down her back. She had an oval face and fair skin and was unconscious, which explained why she never answered me.

I immediately felt myself begin to blush, for reasons unknown to me, and I set her down against a wall. I took my helmet off and set it on the ground and waited for her to awaken. It wasn't like I could just leave her there; who knew what kind of creeps lurked around in the shadows.

After a while her eyelids fluttered and waited for her to fully open her eyes.

**Melody POV**

When I had opened my eyes, my vision was blurry for a minute. I pulled my arms up and wiped at my eyes, my arms feeling as heavy as lead. My head was pounding and my body was ravaged with fatigue.

"Are you alright?" A voice asked me.

_Dude, if you could feel how I feel right now you wouldn't be asking that._ I thought to myself but I removed my arm anyway.

I looked to my right and saw a man with spiky blond hair and blue eyes sitting next to me. He wore a Shinra infantryman uniform and was smiling at my shyly. His helmet was on the ground with his hands resting on top of it and he tapped at the helmet rhythmically.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you." I replied and looked around. "Where am I?"

"Sector 8," the man answered and, while grabbing his helmet, stood. He extended a hand to me and helped me up.

"Thank you. I'm Melody Cross, what about you?" I asked, looking up at him.

"Uh, Cloud Strife." He replied and looked away.

"Okay, Cloud, have you seen a girl with blond curly hair? She's about my height and looks like the type of person who would walk around with a big "L" on her forehead." I asked him and looked around again.

"No, I don't think I have. I only found you in the alley." Cloud replied and looked back to me.

"Well, can you help me look for her?"

"Of course, c'mon." He said and we began our search. "Were you two together?"

"Yeah, I'm not really sure what happened though. We were together… then something and then I passed out…" Suddenly a thought occurred to me. Actually, to be more precise, the clues began to fall into place. Shinra infantryman uniform… Sector 8… Cloud Strife…

I stopped in my tracks. "Oh shit." I breathed.

"What is it?" Cloud asked and he stopped next to me. He gazed at my face, his blue eyes full of concern.

"Oh, i-it's nothing I just—" but I was interrupted by a loud "MELODY!"

Cloud and I turned and Zana crashed into me.

"Oh, Melody I was so worried! I thought I had lost you! I would have been so lonely without you! Where did you go?" Zana cried and crushed me in a bear hug.

"Well, I guess you found her." Cloud said politely and he began to walk away.

"Uh, thank you!" I called after him but he didn't turn around.

Zana let go of me and watched Cloud leave. "Who was that? He looks kind of cute. He has a nice ass too."

"Zana!" I exclaimed. "That was Cloud Strife!"

"Who?" She asked, drool rolling down her chin.

"Ew. He was the guy who saved the Planet and defeated Sephiroth."

"What?" Zana asked turning to me. "That infantryman killed my Sephiroth?"

"Yeah, three times." I replied and began to walk away.

"Melody, where are you going?"

"To look for a newspaper; I need to see what year it is."

After scrounging around Sector 8 we were finally able to find a newspaper in a trash can. The date at the top of the paper read January 7th, 0001. I stared at the print in disbelief.

"Damn, we went all the way back to the beginning."

"Yeah, but how?" I wondered aloud as I read through the newspaper.

"Maybe that thing, back at the ruins, was a time machine." Zana suggested. "Maybe it took us back 482 years into the past."

"But that would mean that Shinra was looking into time travel… But it was never mention anywhere." I countered.

"Well, maybe it was top secret, like Deepground. Only a select few knew about that." Zana replied.

"You have a point but they had files on that. Remember? Reeve Tuesti found information about Deepground in some of Scarlet's old files."

"Yeah, but-"

"Um, excuse me." A voice called from behind us. We turned and saw a woman in a business suit standing behind us. She smiled at us politely.

"Hi, I was just wondering if you two would like to join the Genesis fan club Red Leather. When you join our club you automatically get a newsletter on some of Genesis' basic information. You'll also be invited to special events that we hold in honor of Genesis." The lady told us.

_Oh yeah, we're definitely in the year 0001. _I thought to myself.

"I'm sorry, but I'm more of a Sephiroth fangirl." Zana informed the woman.

"Oh, that's too bad." The woman remarked before turning to me. "What about you?"

"I think I like Cl—" I began but I stopped myself just in time to remember Cloud never made it into SOLDIER. "I mean, I like Zack Fair."

"Who?" The woman asked.

"Zack Fair. He's in SOLDIER he has spiky black hair and is kind of tall." I explained to her.

"Oh. I've never heard of him." She said before turning away.

_Figures._ I thought venomously.

**Zana POV**

I watched in amusement as Melody glared at the Genesis fangirl. I always found it hilarious when Melody allowed such shallow people to get to her. Of course, I would never let that happen to me, though sometimes Melody did get under my skin. But I guess I was used to it, otherwise Melody and I wouldn't be friends.

After the fangirl was gone, I turned to my friend. "So what now?"

Melody sighed and turned her green eyes to me. "We need to find some way to get back to the time machine; it's our way back home."

I shrugged my shoulders. "But Melody, do you even want to go back?"

She arched an eyebrow at me. "What?

"Well, I mean, do you want to go back to our own time? I mean, we have everything we everything we ever wanted here. I have a chance to meet Sephiroth; you have a chance to meet Rufus Shinra. You can stare at the Shinra building all you want. Seriously, all our dreams are in this time!" I tried to explain to her.

Melody looked indecisive for a second. But only for a second. She raised her eyes to meet mine and replied, "Zana, we've already messed up the timeline as it is. We need to leave before we do anymore damage."

I stared at her in confusion. "What 'damage'?" I asked.

"Well, for starters, I think I just made Cloud Strife fall in love with me."

"That's not bad." I remarked and received a glare from Melody.

"Zana how much gil do you have?" Melody asked suddenly, throwing me off guard. I hated it when she did that.

"Cash or card?" I asked.

"Cash, obviously. Do you honestly think your cards would work in this time period?" Melody asked condescendingly.

"Hmmm, you have a point." I replied and pulled out my wallet. "Let's see, I have 5,643 gil on me right now."

"And I have 4,897 which equals to 10,540 gil in total." Melody reported.

"Oo! That's enough to go shopping with!" I exclaimed happily.

Melody turned to me. "Zana, no. We need to use this gil as a means to survive until we get home."

I hunched my shoulders and made a pouting face at her. "Aww, but I wanted to take some souvenirs with us."

Melody tilted her head. "Zana, did you learn nothing today? The time machine chooses where to transport people based on the items it is presented with. If you were to stand there with all of those 'souvenirs' where do you think the time machine will take you?"

_Alright, Zana you gotta be smart on this one._ I thought to myself before I answered her question. "Uh, nowhere we'd be stuck here, right?"

"Exactly." Melody replied before turning away.

"Now where are we going?" I asked.

"We need to find some place to stay at and then afterwards we're going to go look for some jobs. Our best bet would probably be Shinra." Melody explained, tossing her red hair over her shoulder.

"Oh goody, work." I grumbled.

** I'm sorry but I think I made Zana too much of an idiot -_- but think I'll just make her do it for show. I'm going to make her be super smart! *makes a determined face* I'm sorry but I had to include the fan clubs! I was up typing this and I just couldn't help myself. :D Anyway please don't forget to review! **


	3. Chapter 3

** Chapter 3…Dang I'm on a roll! Three chapters in one night is a first for me but I guess I have nothing better to do. Anyway, thanks to everyone who favorites or reviews my story it means so much to me! :) **

Chapter 3: I Love the Past

**Melody POV**

After Zana and I found a decent apartment to reside in, we quickly made our way to the Shinra building. As we stood in front of the building, I was frozen in awe. Here it was, standing right in front of me, in all of its glory. Just looking at it gave me chills and I couldn't wait to go inside.

Zana's words suddenly rang in my head. Sure, it was one thing to want something but it a totally different matter when you got it, especially in the situation we were in. And besides, it wasn't like I actually wanted to live here but it would make a great story to laugh to in the future.

"You ready to go inside?" Zana asked me.

"Yeah, let's go," I replied, excitement welling up inside of me.

We stepped up to front doors and walked inside. As soon as we cleared the doors I was frozen again. It was like standing in the ruins except here in this time it was in its prime. The lobby was just as it was in the ruins except in was free of debris and decay and was kind of barren to be honest. No chairs or desks were overturned. The banners were hung up neatly on the wall and glass was where it was supposed to be.

"Wow," I exclaimed and stepped forward into the building.

With Zana on my heels I approached the front desk. One of the receptionists raised her head and smiled politely at us. I was in a good mood so I returned the gesture.

"Hi, we were wondering what kinds of jobs were available." I said to her.

"Oh, there are plenty of jobs available." The lady said to us. "Like there are receptionist positions, uh, janitors, maids, there are even spots open in the Department of Administrative Research."

The last one choice clicked automatically in my head. _The Turks._ I wasn't sure about Zana but I had picked my job.

"Um, do you have some sort of application for the Department of Administrative Research?" I asked politely

"And one for the receptionist job?" Zana added.

"Of course," the receptionist replied and pulled out a sheet for Zana and two for me. "One is your basic information and the other is a form on your health. You'll need to go to a doctor to get that second form filled out. Then you'll give it back to me and the higher ups will go over it."

"That's it?" I asked.

"Well, if they accept you, you'll have to do a little intro mission but that's all." The receptionist explained.

"Oh, okay. Thank you." I said before turning away and heading out of the building.

Outside, I sat down on the front steps and Zana followed my example. I began to read over my forms and Zana began to read hers. Basic my ass; most of this stuff they were asking for was complicated. Damn receptionist knew nothing.

"That was a lot easier than I thought it'd be," Zana remarked.

"Yeah, but I should have asked where I could find a doctor." I stated and removed my eyes from the entry forms. "Where am I going to find a doctor?"

"I personally recommend Dr. J. Smith. He's really good, and doesn't like to ask a lot of questions," someone said behind us.

We turned and were faced with a red headed man smoking a cigarette. His red hair was unkempt and he had a ponytail in the back. He had two identical red marks on his cheekbones and had goggles pushed up onto his forehead. He wore an unbuttoned suit jacket and an untucked white shirt.

"Dr. J. Smith? And I assume he's in Midgar?" I asked and smirked at the stranger.

"Yep, in Sector 8 to be exact." The man answered and took a seat next to me. He took the forms out of my hand and scanned over them. "You're signing up for the Turks? What can a pretty girl like you do?"

"I'm skilled in firearms and hand-to-hand combat," I informed him, taking the forms back.

"Really?" The man asked, surprised at my response. "What's your name?"

"Melody," I answered. "And you?"

"Reno of the Turks," he replied. Now it was my turn to be surprised. Here was another historical figure but I guess it was to be expected. I was in the past after all.

"Reno, huh? Can I ask you question?"

"Sure, but I'm not giving you any spoilers about getting into the Turks," Reno responded and leaned back on the steps.

"Then you're useless to me!" I huffed which caused Reno to laugh.

Reno stood then and stretched. "I'll give you some advice. When you're doing the entry mission don't eat beforehand. Trust me; if you do you'll regret it, I sure did." He said before throwing his cigarette down and walking away. "See ya, Melody. And don't forget: J. Smith."

"Okay, thank you!" I called after him.

Once Reno was gone, Zana scooted closer me. "Guys like you better than me." She muttered.

"Well, yeah, you're an idiot." I replied jokingly and gave her a hug. "Hey, you wanna go to the Exhibit Room?"

"Sure, why not?" Zana conceded and stood up alongside me. Together we turned and made our way back into the Shinra building.

**Rufus POV**

I stood and stared at the model of the Shinra No. 26, something I had done numerous times before. It wasn't like I had anything better to do surprisingly. Despite the fact that I was the Vice President of the Shinra Electric Power Company I honestly had no work to do. I had way too much free time on my hands.

I looked over to my left just in time to see two girls walk in. One was a short blond headed girl who was talking her head off. The other was a cute red head who looked like she was ignoring her friend. Instead, she was gazing around the room, awe written across her face. I didn't know what was so amazing about the Exhibit Room. Then again, I did go there every day.

The pair spilt up and I returned my attention to the model. Suddenly I heard "Melody! What's this, what's this?"

"Zana shut up and read the information panel. Unless you forgot how to read again." The red head said irritably.

"Hey, that was an accident!" Zana retorted, her face turning red.

"Sure it was," Melody muttered and I chuckled despite myself.

I turned my head and saw that Melody was standing in front of the portrait of the _Highwind._ I left my spot in front of the model to join her.

When I had reached her, Melody looked distant as if lost in thought. I decided to pull her out of her reverie and said, "You know, it's more magnificent in person."

She looked up at me with gorgeous green eyes. "Really? Have you seen it?"

"Yes. I went to Junon on a business trip and saw it. It's pretty amazing." I replied.

Melody turned back to the portrait and smiled. Then she turned back to me. "I'm Melody, what about you?"

"Oh, I'm—" I began but I was cut when someone called out "Vice President!" We both turned just in time to see my secretary make her way over to us. _Dammit Denise, you have horrible timing!_ I thought irritably.

"Vice President?" Melody asked herself before looking up at me. Her eyes suddenly filled with admiration as she gazed at me. One word went through my mind at that moment: Awesome.

**Melody POV**

I gazed up at the man standing next to me, finally realizing who he was. Rufus Shinra, the actual Rufus Shinra was talking to me! I felt like I wanted to faint, hell, I might just die of excitement. The woman who had called out to him came up to us and blushed at Rufus. However, when she saw me she looked at me reproachfully before turning her eyes back to Rufus. _Ok?_

"Mr. Shinra, the President wishes to see you." The woman informed Rufus.

"And you couldn't call me? You had to come down here and interrupt my conversation?" Rufus asked coldly.

The secretary lowered her head and blushed. "You never answer your phone sometimes and the President said it was urgent."

Rufus sighed, as if accepting defeat. He turned to me and said, "Please excuse me, Melody, but there's some business I need to take care of."

"O-oh okay," I stuttered, beginning to blush myself. "It was nice to meet you, Vice President."

"Same here," Rufus smiled before turning away and heading to the elevators. His secretary glared at me one last time before following Rufus. I flipped her off when her back was turned.

Zana came up behind me and grabbed my hand. "That's three in one day! Stop making me feel bad!" She hissed at me.

"It's not my fault men are attracted to me and not you," I retorted but hugged her again. "I'm just kidding; who knows, maybe Sephiroth will fall for you."

"Let's hope so," Zana laughed and returned my hug. "Hey, can we go now? I'm tired."

"Yeah, me too." I agreed. "Let's go."

** This is probably my longest chapter yet but I don't think I moved the plot forward at all O.o oh well I'll try to make the next chapter more exciting. I'm sorry that I'm always changing the POVs but I want to try to get every character's perspective of what's going on. So me sorry! Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm sorry I haven't been updating! I wrote this months ago but I have been able to upload them so sorry for the wait.**

Chapter 4: Job Interview, Turks Style

**Melody POV**

It had been four days since I had returned my Turks forms to the receptionist at the Shinra Building. It had been a week since we first arrived in this time period. Zana had already been accepted into her job and with her gil combined with mine we were making ends meet. I wonder how long that will last.

Since I was stuck at home alone I started prepping for that entry mission for the Turks. I guess I was confident that I was going to be accepted. Actually it didn't hurt to be prepared. Besides, it was something to do in the long hours of the day.

I was in the middle of doing push-ups when my new cellphone rang. I stood up from my push-ups and made my way to the phone. I picked it up and answered it, half-expecting the caller to be Zana.

"Hello? Melody Cross speaking." I said into the receiver.

"Melody Cross, this is Veld, Head of the Department of Administrative Research. I just wanted to call and tell you that I reviewed your file and decided that you are worthy of joining the Turks. Please meet up with me in Sector 5 on January 16th, two days from now." A man replied.

"Oh, uh, thank you and I will, sir." I responded, unsure of what to say.

"I hope to see you then," Veld said before hanging up.

I flipped my phone shut and stared at it. Unbelievable, that was way too quick! I was expecting to wait for another week or so. But I guess it did help that they decided it so quickly.

I set my phone down and sat down on the floor. _I should probably buy some decent clothes and maybe a gun. I'm not sure if they'll provide me with one or not and I don't really want to go to the slums without some form of protection. _I thought to myself, planning on what to do next.

Eventually I decided to go out and gather my supplies and after a quick shower I left the apartment.

Two days later I was standing alone in Sector 5, my hands in my pockets and my new gun holstered to my side. I was wearing a black jacket and black jeans in combat boots. Not exactly professional but it was best I could do.

Veld never specified where or when to meet up so I just went to the entrance of Sector 5 at six o'clock in the morning. Luckily, I didn't have to wait long. An old-looking man in a business suit soon emerged from the entrance. He had brown hair and a scar on his left cheek and he looked like he didn't take shit from anybody. The only way I knew he was with the Turks was because Reno was walking behind him, along with another man with his hair pulled back into a ponytail and a tilak in the middle of his forehead.

When Reno saw me he broke into a broad grin. "Hey, Melody." He greeted me slyly.

I smirked at him. "Hi, Reno."

The man with the scar smiled at me. "You must be Melody Cross. We spoke briefly on the phone before; I'm Veld. It appears you already know Reno and the other young man is Tseng."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," I replied.

"I assume you have your own weapon of choice?" Veld asked me.

"Yes sir," I answered.

"Alright then, let's get started. We'll be sending you on a recall mission; all you have to do is find an accessory we've hidden somewhere in Sector 5. The three of us will be watching and evaluating your performance. We will also step in if you encounter a problem we don't think you can handle. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir," I repeated.

Veld reached into his suit and pulled out a picture. He handed it to me and I looked it over. It was a picture of a necklace with silver chains and blue sapphires embedded in it. The necklace looked pretty expensive and I was surprised that they would make me look for something like that.

"That is the accessory you'll be looking for today. You have all day to search for it. At approximately five-thirty we will call time and that will be all. Do I make myself clear?"

I nodded. "Yes sir. Wait, I can do whatever I need to do to find this?"

"As long as it's legal and reasonable." Veld responded and turned away. "You can begin now."

"Good luck, Melody!" Reno called to me.

"Thanks," I muttered before going in the opposite direction.

Five hours later I was absolutely nowhere and starving. I had wandered around Sector 5 and asked around but it seemed no one had seen the accessory I was looking for. I mean, seriously, how could you not have seen a man in a business suit hide it? Was it even to possible to miss something like that?

I stopped and stared at the photo again. "How hard is it to find this? This should have been a piece of cake." I muttered and continued my search.

Another hour later I stopped once again to look around. I was even looking up now. But I finally figured out why no one was telling me what I wanted to know. This was the slums after all and if I had found a piece of jewelry as priceless as the one I was currently looking for I wouldn't give it up. Especially not to a girl who looked like she could afford another.

I sighed and was going to continue my search when I suddenly heard screaming off in the distance. I immediately began to run towards the noise and arrived in a wide clearing. A group of men were messing with some kids and one even grabbed a little boy roughly by the arm. I ducked into the shadows and slowly made my way towards them. The man was yelling something but I couldn't really understand what exactly he was saying.

As I drew closer I was able to make out what the big guy was saying. "Where'd you find this?" He yelled to the little boy who whimpered in response. I looked up and saw that he was holding the accessory I was looking for! My jaw dropped when I saw that. I sank back down and began to formulate a plan to get it from them. It wasn't like I could just jump out there and start shooting at them; not only would I emotionally scar the children but it would also land me in jail.

Finally I just decided to confront them, which was probably a really stupid idea but I had no other choice. I stood and made my way out of the shadows and garbage. The man was too busy yelling at the little boy to see that I had appeared and I had to speak up to get his attention.

"Uh, excuse me," I said and they all looked at me. "Hi, um I was walking around and I noticed that you had my necklace. I had been looking for it all day…"

"Bitch, this is mine now!" The man shouted and pulled out a gun. I ducked behind a large rock just before the bullet hit me. _The hell man?! It's a fucking necklace! _I thought angrily.

"Ok, that was totally unnecessary." I called to him and pulled out my own gun. "Look, we can talk about this…"

"No way in hell, you Shinra whore!" He yelled again. "Get her," he ordered his flunkies.

_Oh shit,_ I thought before running away from my hiding spot.

Two men began to chase me around the little area, firing away as the run after me. I was able to dodge most of the bullets and ran around so that I ended up behind one of them. I dropped down and swung my leg under his and made him fall over. His gun fell to the ground and I grabbed it and began to go after the other man. He turned to face me and shot his gun. I dodged the bullet and hit him in the back of the neck with his buddy's gun, causing him to become unconscious. Before I could move away a shot exploded in the air and pain blossomed in my right shoulder. I kneeled down and clamped a hand over the wound. Blood began to ooze out of the wound and I turned in the direction of the attack.

The lead man had his gun out and still had it pointed at me. Okay it was ridiculous before but now it was just plain stupid. "Dude, it's a fucking necklace! Damn!" I yelled at him.

"Don't talk like that to me or I'll shoot you dead!" He yelled back.

Before I could say anything back Veld and Tseng came out of the shadows, their guns drawn. Suddenly a hand was placed over mine and I looked up to see Reno. He knelt down beside me and continued to put pressure over my wound.

"That's enough," Veld said to the man coldly. "You've interfered with a test that the Department of Administrative Research was conducting in this area. You've also injured one of my colleagues for no apparent reason."

"Ah so you really are a Shinra whore." The man grinned at me.

"Yeah, well, at least I'm not dick who attacks women," I called back to him. Reno snickered at my remark and the man blushed fiercely.

"Bitch, I'll kill you!" He yelled but Veld shot the ground near his feet.

"I said that was enough," he growled at the thug. He turned his eyes to Reno, "Reno, take Ms. Cross to the hospital."

"Yes sir," Reno replied and picked me up bridal style. He began to take me away from the area and I looked over his shoulder back at the three men.

"What's going to happen to that guy?" I asked Reno.

"Oh, he'll probably be charged with simple assault." Reno answered and looked down at me. "Sorry we didn't step in sooner. You were handling the situation so well and Veld was impressed with your skill..."

I looked at my shoulder. "Sucks how I couldn't get the necklace though."

"Eh, don't worry about it. I'm pretty sure you qualify to be a Turk." Reno assured me.

"Really?" I asked, looking up at him.

Reno smiled down at me. "Well, yeah. If Veld doesn't let you in, I'd say he's crazy."

"Thanks," I said and continued to battle the pain that raged from my shoulder.

** Forget what I said about the last chapter, this one is definitely the longest. I planned it that way and I hope I made the fight scene as exciting as I imagined it. Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

** Eh, I don't really have much to say about this chapter. I had a hard time writing this one, probably because I had pulled an all-nighter and my brain wanted to shut down :P Sorry if this chapter turns out bad.**

Chapter 5: The First Day

**Melody POV**

I stood in front of my mirror and admired the person who stared back. It was my first official day as a Turk and damn did I look good in the uniform. The business suit was custom made for me, special thanks to Veld, and the best part was that I didn't have to pay for it. That last part was probably compensation for the injury I received to my shoulder which was still in the process of healing.

Zana stepped into the room and stood beside me. She was dressed in her new business suit with her blond hair pulled back into a bun. She added glasses for some reason; my guess was so that she could look smart. Actually I didn't think the glasses helped much.

"So how is working in the Turks and being a receptionist going to get us to the time machine?" Zana asked as she tucked away a loose strand of hair.

"I'm still working that part out." I answered her and pulled my hair up in a ponytail with my long bangs pushed to the side of my face. "You just enjoy sitting on your butt all day while I go out and try to get myself killed."

"Now you just make me sound useless." Zana pouted, her glasses sliding down her nose.

I laughed and grabbed for my cellphone. "Don't worry; you're actually being of use for once."

After that we quickly made our way to the Shinra HQ. When we had to arrive I had to stop and gaze up at the building. _I'm going to be working here from now on. That's so amazing!_ I thought excitedly and followed Zana inside.

As soon as I stepped into the building I was met up with Reno. "Hey Melody, how's the shoulder treating you?"

"Good morning, Reno." I greeted him with a smile. "It's okay, I guess. Still hurts, though."

"Yeah, I just hope Veld doesn't send you on any strenuous missions, which he probably won't." Reno chattered, leading me to an elevator.

On the ride up, Reno began to tell me about the Turk mannerisms and basically what they did. I listened intently, not wanting to miss a thing. Unfortunately, we arrived at our destination before Reno could give me any more information.

When we stepped off the elevator, Reno dropped me off at Veld's office. "Good luck and I'll see you later, Melody."

"Ok, bye," I replied. Once he was gone I knocked on the door and stepped inside.

Veld was sitting at his desk, busily typing away at his computer and sorting through files. But when he saw that I had enter the room he stopped what he was doing and smiled at me. "Ah, Melody, I didn't think you'd come to work so soon. Are you sure you can handle it with your shoulder?"

I nodded. "Yes sir, I should be able to handle it."

Veld nodded at my response. "Well that's good to hear. Actually, I already have a mission for you." He pulled out a sheet of paper. "We've been hearing reports of AVALANCHE hiding out in the slums. I know that's the last place you want to be right now but you're very effective at gathering intel."

"Yes, sir," I replied.

"You won't be going alone though." Veld continued, as if I had never spoken. "I ask Heidegger and he was willing to spare two infantrymen to go with you. They will be your protection if something happens to you. Understood?"

"Yes, sir. Where should I meet up with these infantrymen?" I asked.

"You'll meet up with them at the entrance in," Veld looked at the clock, "five minutes. You should hurry on down and gather as much information as you possibly can."

"Yes, sir, thank you." I said before leaving the office.

**Cloud POV**

I closed my eyes as my friend, James, and I waited for the Turk to come down. I was leaning up against the wall and James was pacing, clearly impatient and ready to go. He stopped and stood next to me and then started pacing again.

He stopped and began to rub his shoulder. "Yo, Cloud, my shoulder still hurts where Eric slammed me down into the ground earlier."

"You shouldn't have provoked him," I replied, my eyes still closed.

"Hey, he was talking bad about my girlfriend!" James exclaimed. "So, technically, _he _provoked _me._"

"Whatever," I muttered and opened my eyes.

James stopped pacing and stared at me. "You know, I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Like what?"

"Like, what's been bugging you lately? You've been so out of it, what's with you, man?" James asked his voice full of concern.

"Nothing's bugging me." I replied.

"Yeah, right. Come on, you can tell me." James prodded.

I sighed. "Fine, you win. But you have to promise not to tell anybody."

"Cross my heart." James promised.

"Ok," I sighed again. "Well two weeks ago I met up with this girl…"

"Alrighty, I see where this is going." James said and he began pacing again. "You can go back to being dark and brooding. I want nothing to do with your love life."

"Some friend you are," I scoffed and closed my eyes again.

"Hey, I see the Turk. Dang she's cute; too bad I'm taken already." James said.

I opened my eyes and looked towards the elevator. I couldn't believe my eyes. Coming down the elevator in the Turks uniform was Melody. She was looking at her watch and glancing around the lobby as well. For once, I was glad for the helmet, at least she couldn't tell if I was looking at her or not.

When she had reached ground level she scanned the room until she spotted us. Melody quickly made her way over to us and smiled shyly when she had reached us. "Sorry I'm late. I was talking to my superior about the mission."

"What is the mission?" James asked and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I need to go to the slums to gather information about AVALANCHE. But you two don't need to worry about that. All you guys need to focus on is protecting me." Melody explained.

"Since when do the Turks need bodyguards?" James asked.

I wasn't sure if he was just acting this way on purpose but I could tell Melody was getting irritated. "A couple days ago I was shot in the shoulder and my superior didn't want me to go out on my own."  
"If you were shot why are you even at work?"

"Dude, can we just forget the details and do the mission?" Melody asked and began to head towards the front doors.

"Touchy, much?" James said when she was out of earshot.

"Come on; let's not get on her nerves anymore today." I warned him before following Melody.

A couple hours later we were sitting around Sector 7 taking a break from the running around. So far we had gather absolutely no information on AVALANCHE or anything for that matter. Melody was becoming more irritated with each passing minute and James wasn't helping any. He kept on hitting on Melody and trying to distract her from her job. I had already told him countless times to just shut up and leave her alone but he refused to listen. At one point during our break he said that he was going to get something to drink.

Once he was gone, Melody immediately turned to me. "Does he have a problem with me or something? I mean, what's his deal?"

I sighed. "I'm sorry, Melody. He just gets like that sometimes. Especially when he finds a cute girl and he knows he can't have her."

Melody tilted her head to the side. "…Cloud, is that you?"

I smiled and pulled my helmet off. "You remembered me."

Melody smiled at me and grabbed my hand. I felt my heart begin to race. "Of course, I remember you. You helped me out before."

"I didn't know you were in the Turks." I stated changing the subject.

Melody let go of my hand and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Yeah, I'm a new recruit. Today's my first day."

"I bet it's sucking pretty bad right now, though." I said.

"Well, seeing you brightened my day." Melody replied and looked around. I couldn't help it, I blushed.

"But, yeah, it sucks how no one knows about AVALANCHE being here." Melody continued. "Your friend's not helping either."

"I'm sorry." I muttered, looking at the ground.

"Why are you apologizing?" Melody asked looking back at me.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't even know."

We were silent for a few minutes. James didn't return and I was beginning to wonder if he had ditched us. I stood and looked around. James wasn't anywhere in sight.

"Hey, Cloud?" Melody said, causing me to turn my attention to her. She was clutching her shoulder and her face was tight with pain.

"Is your shoulder bothering you?" I asked and kneeled down next to her. "Do you want to go back to the Shinra building?"

"No, the mission comes first." Melody replied and stood. "Can we continue where we left off? I'm not sure but I think your friend left us."

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing." I agreed and stood. Alright, let's go."

**Melody POV**

After our little break, Cloud and I decided to continue our search without his obnoxious friend. Still, that was a nice surprise. I didn't expect Cloud to be one of the infantrymen ordered to protect me. He had been so quiet before that the thought never even crossed my mind.

We made a few more rounds around the slums before giving up entirely. It was obvious that these people didn't want to talk to us or that they really didn't know. Anyway, that wasn't the only reason we wanted to quit. My shoulder decided to choose then to start hurting and the pain was excruciating. Honestly, I didn't want to quit but Cloud kept on bugging me about it and I didn't want to worry him so I gave in.

But as we were heading towards the Sector 5 train we were suddenly surrounded by a group of men bearing guns and baseball bats. "What—" Cloud began; reaching back for his pistol but one of the men hit him the back of the head with a bat. Cloud fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Cloud!" I exclaimed and reached back for my own gun. But before I could draw my weapon a man grabbed me and punched me in the stomach. That added to the pain in my shoulder was too much for me to handle and I sank into unconsciousness.

**Whew! I hope that chapter was any good. I think I'm just now making the story interesting. Who knows? Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

** This chapter I decided to get away from Melody and focus on Zana. But a certain silver-haired SOLDIER makes a cameo in this chapter :D Please enjoy!**

Chapter 6: My Dreams…Have Just Come True

**Zana POV**

I sat down at my desk in the front lobby of the Shinra building, absently doodling on some spare forms lying around. My job was so damn boring; Melody was lucky to have such an exciting job. Hell, it was only three hours ago when she walked out of the building with two Shinra infantrymen on her heels.

I sighed and leaned back in my chair, it sucked having no one to talk to. The other receptionist, who I think was named Jamie, left to go on break. So, because of her absence, I was force to spend the time alone until she came back. Damn Melody; she's probably having a blast right about now.

I sat back upright in my seat; I really didn't need to get in trouble again. I had to look 'professional' because I was representing the Shinra Company. Or, at least, that was what my boss, Dezz, had said to me. So I bought a pair of reading glasses so that I could look 'professional'; they also made me look smart as well.

I looked towards the front doors just in time to see one of the infantrymen who had left with Melody walk in. At least, I think it was. No wait, it was; it was the one who had been pacing. I was so smart and memorized how he walked and his body movements… Yeah I don't get it either.

He quickly made his way to the front desk and smirked when he had reached me. "Hey, I wanted to check my schedule."

"Yes, sir," I replied, reaching for the computer mouse. "What is your name?"

"James Huey," he answered and he leaned casually on the counter.

"Okay," I said and began searching for his information. I pulled it up a second later and replied, "James Huey, you are scheduled to be one of the bodyguards tasked with protecting a member of the Department of Administrative Research."

"Yeah I don't really wanna do that," the infantryman said.

Now I was starting to get irritated. "Well, that's what it says on the schedule."

"I don't wanna do it though." He whined. "The Turk is a bitch."

I was silent for a moment. "What did you say?"

"Huh?" The infantryman asked, surprised at my sudden change to anger.

My voice was as cold as ice. "I don't know what your fucking problem is but let's get one thing straight: Nobody, but nobody, talks shit about my best friend!"

"J-just calm down lady," he stammered, backing away.

"No! I'm not going to 'calm down'! You started this by calling my best friend in the whole world a fucking bitch! So don't you tell me—"

"What's going on here?" Someone behind the infantryman asked. James turned and his body went rigid. I looked around his body and couldn't believe my eyes.

The man standing behind James had long silver hair and cat-like green eyes. He wore a long black coat with silver pauldrons on his shoulders. He also wore black boots and black clothing with his chest exposed to reveal his SOLDIER suspenders.

"S-Sephiroth!" James gasped. My heart skipped a beat when I heard that name.

"What are you doing to this young woman?" Sephiroth asked in a voice that could make any girl swoon.

"N-nothing, sir! I was just asking about my schedule and she started to go off on me." James explained, lying through his teeth.

"What a load of BS!" I exclaimed and put my hands on my hips. "I told you what was on your schedule and you started to complain about it. Then you insulted my best friend and that's when I started to get angry with you!"

Sephiroth stared me and then turned his eyes to James. "Leave, now." Sephiroth ordered him.

"Y-yes, sir," James muttered before walking away.

Sephiroth and I watched him leave. _Good riddance,_ I thought happily.

Just then Sephiroth turned to me. "Forgive him for his behavior. I'll have a talk with Heidegger about teaching his troops some manners."

"Okay, thank you for stepping in." I said, my face beginning to blush. Yes, it's really happening! I'm actually talking to Sephiroth, my hero!

Sephiroth shrugged his shoulders. "He was in the way."

Before I could say anything to this, Jamie appeared. "Hey, Zana you can go on break now. Be back at one o'clock, 'kay?" She spotted Sephiroth and smiled politely at him, her face turning red. "Hello, Mr. Sephiroth."

Sephiroth returned her greeting with a curt nod and turned back to me. "Walk with me?" He asked.

It took every ounce of restraint inside of me to stop myself from jumping with joy. "Sure," I replied and followed him out of HQ.

I spent my entire break walking around Sector 8 with Sephiroth. He did most of the talking though, and he told me all about his friends Angeal, Genesis, and Zack. Sephiroth did get a little sad when he talked about Angeal and Genesis and when I asked why he avoided the subject. I was guessing it was either top secret or he really just didn't want to talk about it. He was; however, willing to tell me all about Zack Fair. I'm glad he did because I honestly had no idea who the hell that was.

After Sephiroth had finished telling me about his friends I told him all about Melody. I told how she could be sweet and mean at the same time and how she sometimes got on my nerves. I told him how I marveled at her level-headedness in any situation and at how she was able to think out everything before she did something, consequences and all.

"I really admire her; she my idol," I admitted to him, staring at the ground, "even though she sees me as a total idiot."

"Why do you think that?" He asked.

"Well, because I always act that way around her. I don't know why but when I'm near Melody I feel like I want her to shine. So I hide my true abilities and fall into her shadow. I act stupid, say and do stupid things, and just hide my true self from her." I explained. "Weird, huh?"

Sephiroth stopped walking. "Not really, people do that sometimes, especially when they are faced with an individual they believe to be greater than them."

I nodded at what he said. "You have a point, I guess."

"I don't think you should be afraid to show Melody who you really are." Sephiroth said to me. "I think—"

His cellphone rang suddenly, cutting him off. He pulled it out and looked at me. "Excuse me," he said before answering it.

Sephiroth listen intently for a few minutes before hanging up. After that he turned to me. "I'm sorry, Zana, but something came up."

"Okay," I replied, slouching my shoulders.

He smiled at me. "I'll see you later, Zana." He said to me before walking away.

**Sorry if that chapter was so short. I was thinking ahead to the next chapter and was really distracted! -_- Please don't forget to review!**


	7. Chapter 7

** Chapter 7 is finally here! :D It's good to finally be writing about the action. I'm not sure if I'll move the plot forward though… **

Chapter 7: Wounded Shoulder+ Wounded Infantryman+ Bumpy Car Ride and Restraints= Not a Fun Experience

Melody POV

I awoke to the rough jolting of a moving truck. I sat up from where I had been lying and tried to move my arms only to discover that they were bound behind my back. The area was pitch black meaning the either the windows were covered or night had fallen. I moved my leg and ended up kicking someone.

"Ow, what the hell?" I heard Cloud say followed by a scuffling sound.

"Sorry, Cloud," I said to the darkness.

"Melody? You're here too?" Cloud asked, surprise in his voice.

I scooted forward until my knees touched his, at least I think it was his knees. "Yeah, I'm here. How's your head."

"It hurts," Cloud replied and he leaned his forehead on my uninjured shoulder. "How's your shoulder."

"It hurts," I said, mimicking Cloud. "And I think it opened because my shirt is wet."

"Hmm," was all Cloud said. After a while I guessed he had passed out. I put my own head on his shoulder and closed my eyes. But I was unable to fall asleep; the pain in my shoulder and my stomach prevent me from doing so.

I opened my eyes and began to fight at the restraints, trying to find some way to get out of them. Unfortunately they were leather bindings, which were basically impossible to break through so I gave up eventually. I moved my legs and noted that they didn't have any bounds on them. That meant that Cloud and I had a probable chance of fighting and escaping our captors. Then again, Cloud and I would probably be too weak get far; even if we managed to escape.

Wow, we were screwed.

**Reno POV**

I paced my office back and forth, anxiety and tension rolling off of me in waves. Damn, that girl possibly had the worst luck ever. First she gets shot and now she's kidnapped; how much more shit could she possible get into to? What made it worse was that it was AVALNCHE who had taken her and that infantryman.

My long-time partner Rude leaned against my desk and watched me. Rude wasn't the one to talk much and for once I was glad for his silence. I needed time to think; to form some sort of plan to rescue Melody.

Cissnei walked in then and joined Rude, worry on her face. It wasn't the first time one of members had been abducted; it probably wouldn't be the last time, but it still very stressful for us. Even if only Veld, Tseng, and I had actually met Melody, I was pretty sure the other members were concerned for her well-being.

Speaking of Veld, he was in the process of freaking out. He was making phone calls left and right, trying to figure out what exactly had happened. I think he was pissed at the fact that one of the infantrymen had ditched Melody. Hell, I was too.

"Reno, calm down. She'll be alright." Cissnei called to me.

"Don't forget, the Vice President has also been kidnapped." Rude reminded me. That was also how we found out about Melody; AVALANCHE had called, demanding a ransom for the Vice President, a Turks member, and an infantryman.

"I know, I know," I said, responding to both of them. "It's just, her shoulder…"

Cissnei shook her head. "She'll be fine, all of them will."

I sighed and turned to her, "I sure hope so."

**Melody POV**

After falling into a restless sleep, I awoke again to the throbbing pain in my shoulder. I sat up again and saw daylight shining on the floor. I looked up and saw an overhead window above me; it had been too dark to see it before. Looking away from the small window, I found Cloud sitting in a corner, lost in thought

"Cloud?" I called to him and began to crawl towards him. A huge mistake because the moment I moved my arm pain blossomed in my shoulder.

"Hey, Melody," Cloud said absently as he continued to stare off into space.

"How's your head?" I asked through gritted teeth and began to scoot towards him again.

"It still hurts, but I'm fine." He replied.

I stared at my friend. His blonde hair was matted with blood from where he was hit and he had bruises all over his face. His uniform was torn somewhat and his arms were tied behind his back like mine. Cloud looked so tired and exhausted, like he was going to pass out any moment.

"Cloud," I began but I was interrupted when the truck came screeching to a halt.

Muffled voices came from outside and Cloud and I exchanged looks. I motioned for him to get to the back and I scooted forward towards the door. Cloud was too weak to really do anything, but I was going to put up a fight for as long as I could.

I braced myself in front of the door as I heard the lock click. The door opened and I did a roundhouse kick, immediately connecting with someone's face. I looked and saw that it was the same guy who had punched me earlier. _Ha, take that, dick. _I thought in satisfaction.

The man stumbled back and two more moved towards me. I kept on kicking and I was able to push those two back as well. The man from before stepped back up, his nose bleeding profusely. I kicked at him again but this time he grabbed my leg and threw me out of the truck. I landed hard on my back, the air rushing out of me.

The guy got on top of me and was about to punch me when someone yelled, "Stop!"

He turned around, his hand still poised like he was going to punch me. I sat up and looked around him.

A girl stood a few feet away, her arms crossed across her chest. She was slim with an apathetic expression on her face. She had short brown hair but what caught my attention was the broken materia embedded in her arm. It reminded me of the materia that Zana had found just before we explored the ruins Midgar. That materia was still in my pocket and I kind of wanted to compare the two.

"Kanos, what are you doing?" She asked her eyes turning as cold as ice.

"She was attacking us." The guy replied and stood up. "I was just subduing her."

"Don't lay another finger on them. We can't have them too badly injured when we give them back to Shinra."

"They agreed to our ransom?" One of the guys I kicked asked as he readjusted his glasses.

"Yes, Fuhito, that's why we can't hurt them."

I sat up and saw some people moving Cloud out of the truck. I jumped up but was immediately knocked down by Kanos. I didn't even miss a beat, I swung my legs and kicked him right in the groin. Kanos fell to knees; it was awesome.

"You little bitch!" He yelled.

"Bring it you asshole!" I yelled right back. And I turned to the guys who had Cloud. "Don't touch my friend, I'll fuck you up!"

"Okay, that's enough!" The girl shouted. "What did I just tell you Kanos? You deserved that crotch shot." She walked towards us and Kanos scooted back.

She stopped in front of me and extended her hand to me. I stared at her in confusion and she smiled at me. "Are you okay? We're not gonna hurt you. My name is Elfe and I'm the leader of AVALANCHE."

**Dang I haven't written in this story in months. I'm gonna try to keep up with this story again. Don't forget to R&R!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry I haven't updated in months! I guess I just forgot about this story.**

Chapter 8: The Deal

**Melody POV**

I followed Elfe through the AVALANCHE base camp with Cloud stumbling beside me. He was really trying to act strong, but I could tell that he was too hurt to be walking around. I looked away for just a second and when I turned back he began to fall. I caught him just in time and almost fell with him.

Fuhito stepped forward to help me but a glare from me stopped him. Instead, Elfe grabbed one of his arms and put it around her neck and I didn't stop her. She smiled at me and I couldn't help but smile back at her. It was strange that I was so comfortable around Elfe, I mean, she was my enemy and yet I trusted her.

"You shouldn't carry him all by yourself. If you don't Fuhito to help you can I?" She asked.

"Um sure," I replied.

We continued down the dark hallway until Elfe lead us to a door. She leaned forward and pushed it open. I couldn't believe what I saw. Standing next to a boarded up window was Rufus Shinra.

"Ru—I mean Vice President!" I exclaimed and almost dropped Cloud.

Rufus looked at me in surprise. "Melody?"

"Well, at least you two know each other." Elfe observed and removed Cloud's arm from around her neck. Kanos took Cloud's arm from her and practically ripped my friend away from me.

"Uh, excuse you," I growled and punched him in the stomach.

"Melody," Elfe said quietly and touched my arm. "Don't worry about it. I'll get onto him later. Walk with me?"

Before I could say anything she pulled out of the room and shut the door.

**Zack POV**

I lounged back on the couch that was on the SOLDIER floor, rubbing my forehead. My head was pounding like crazy and I was exhausted from the training mission I had just completed. _I hope they don't send me on another mission today, or tomorrow._ I thought and lay down.

"Hey, Zack," I heard my friend Kunsel call out.

"What?" I replied closing my eyes.

I heard him walk up, his boots thudding against the tile. "There you are, Sephiroth is looking for you."

I groaned and rolled off the couch. "What does he want?" I asked and rubbed my face.

"He has a mission for you."

_Dammit. _ I thought and looked at him. I honestly did not feel good and I definitely wasn't up for a mission. But I guess you gotta do what you gotta do. "What's the mission?"

"You and Sephiroth have to go rescue the Vice President, a Turks member, and an infantryman. Hey, you okay, Zack? You don't look so good."

"Yeah I'm fine," I said and smiled. It was a total lie but I wasn't going to pass up this mission. Hell, I could even get bumped up to 1st class if I made a good enough impression.

**Melody POV**

I sat on the top of AVALANCHE's secret base with Elfe, staring out at the sunset. A silence hung between us but it wasn't an awkward silence. She was lying on her back and was staring up at the sky.

"You know what's weird?" Elfe asked suddenly, pulling me out of my trance.

"What?" I asked.

She sat up and looked out over the dry wasteland we were at. "I just met you today and you're my enemy, but I like you. Like as a friend, a friend I've been looking for."

I sighed and looked down at my hands. "You know, to be honest, but it's been the same for me. I mean, I have a best friend but we're just so different. But you and I are so alike it's weird."

Elfe sighed and looked down at her hands. "I know what you mean. But we can't be friends, although I want to."

"Why cause we're 'enemies'?" I asked and looked at her. "Just because we share a different set of beliefs and our bosses want us to fight?"

She returned my look. "I don't' have a boss. I choose to fight Shinra of my own free will. And besides, I don't see why you would even work for such an evil corporation."

Her glare was so piercing that I had to turn away. Everything that I had learned about Shinra, good and bad, rushed through my head and I had to admit that she had a point. "Evil is just a matter of perspective."

Elfe placed a hand on my shoulder and I looked at her. "You're right, Melody, it's just so unfair. I was raised by AVALANCHE; my mother was killed by Shinra. So not only do I have to repay AVALANCHE for everything they've done for me, but I have to get revenge for what those bastards have done to me."

"Elfe," I began but I stopped myself. Was it really smart to tell her everything? Was I really willing to tell her about the time machine? I decided that it wasn't the smart thing to do and I stood up. "I need to check on Cloud, can you show me the way back to him?"

Elfe gave me a sad smile and led me back into the building.

**Rufus POV**

I scanned through a dusty paperback as I kept my eyes on the AVALANCHE members. Two stood guard beside the door and I was sure that some more were waiting in the hallway. The infantryman was unconscious on the couch and I felt bad for him. He really needed to see a doctor; his head injury looked pretty serious.

The lock clicked loudly and the door swung open with Melody and Elfe standing in the doorway. I caught Melody's eye for a second, but she quickly looked away. It kind of hurt, to be honest, because I actually wanted a friend for once, especially at that moment. What exactly did Elfe say to her?

The AVALANCHE leader beckoned me to follow her. "C'mon, Shinra, we have some talking to do."

I glared coldly at her, but didn't say anything. I began to move towards the door and I had to pass by Melody. She briefly grabbed my hand as I past her and I quickly squeezed her hand in return before I pulled away.

Elfe lead me down the dark hallway to a small room. The room was mostly bare with only a chair and a small table in the center of the room. It reminded me of an interrogation room and I hoped that wasn't what we were there for.

"Take a seat," she ordered.

"I'll stand, thanks," I replied.

Elfe glared at me and I returned the look. There was so much hate between us. Why? I didn't know her, she didn't know me, and she only hated me because of who my father was.

"Your father has made a deal; he's willing to pay for the safe return of the three of you." She informed me coldly.

"Well that's surprising," I said simply and I turned my back to her. "But I'm guessing you want some answers before you let us go."

Elfe got straight to the point. "Is Veld going to be on the rescue team?"

"Most likely," I answered. "He really likes Melody so he might try to save her himself."

"Good. Then I can give that bastard what's coming to him."  
"You can try, but I'm sure SOLDIER will be tagging along as well."

"SOLDIER," Elfe repeated, "does that mean Sephiroth will come as well?"

"Probably."  
"Even better!" Elfe exclaimed and came up close to me. "Now I can give that asshole and my father a taste of their own medicine."

Everything suddenly clicked and all the pieces fell into place. I turned on her. "You have no intention of letting us go." I stated, feeling my stomach drop.

Elfe laughed. "Are you kidding? Of course not; we don't want Shinra's tainted money. You three are bait and this is all a trap."

**I hope this chapter was somewhat good. I wrote it in between classes at school and I had a headache when I came up with the ending. Don't forget to review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm starting to get back into this story. Hopefully this chapter will be good.**

Chapter 9: The Rescue

**Melody POV**

Cloud and I were alone in the small room with only Kanos as a watch. The huge man was watching our every move and he was really starting to freak me out. Cloud had his head resting on my lap and his eyes were closed; I couldn't tell if he was asleep or not.

I thought back to when Rufus left with Elfe. How he squeezed my hand tight, as if to say that everything was fine. I blushed as I remembered the feel of his hand in mine and I shook my head to clear away the thought.

Cloud groaned and I turned my attention back to him. His eyes were still closed but I could tell that he was in a lot of pain. He really needed to go to the hospital, but it was obvious that AVALANCHE wasn't up for driving a Shinra infantryman to the emergency room. Cloud was just going to have to hold out for a little longer.

The door opened and I watched as Elfe peeked in. "Hey, Melody. Kanos, you can come out now; we're locking up for the night."

_Locking up? _ I thought as Kanos lumbered to the door. "What do you mean 'locking up'? And where is the Vice President?"

"Lock up is where we seal the entire building down for the night." Elfe explained and closed the door slightly. "And as for Shinra, we put him in a different room. We can't have you guys conspiring, can we?"

Later that night, as Cloud slept on the small couch that was in the room, I peered through the blinds of the large window. We were on the topmost story of the house that I figured was located somewhere in the Corel Desert. One question: How did we get from Midgar all the way to the Corel Desert so quickly? Wasn't that physically impossible?

As I continued my watch, my thoughts turned to Zana. Was she okay? How was she handling being all by herself? I mean Zana can handle herself, but even I would freak out if I was in her shoes. I figured that was what was happening and I prayed silently for her.

I moved away from the window and over to the bookshelf. It was too dark to read, but just touching it reminded me of my father's Shinra Manor. That's right, Shinra Manor. Jealous? My father had it remodeled and refurnished to how it was originally and he lived there. I used to visit him, that is, until my mother cut us off.

Thinking of home made me homesick and tears sprang up in my eyes. I hastily wiped the away. _Why are you crying? _I asked myself. _You're going to see them again, so there's nothing to be sad about._

A sudden rap on the window caused me to jump. I turned towards it and started to move towards the noise. When I had reached the window, two more knocks sounded. I pushed the blinds aside and came face to face with a man hanging upside down behind the glass. It took every fiber of my being not to scream.

The man smiled at me and motioned for me to open the window. I unlocked it and pulled the window open, still in shock. The stranger leaped into the room, landing almost soundlessly on his feet.

Although it was dark I could still make out some of his features. His hair was dark and spikey, and he had bangs that fell over his eyes. He was tall and muscular but slim in build. But what really caught my attention were his eyes, which glowed unnaturally in the moonlight.

I immediately knew who he was, but I decided to play dumb. "Who are you?"

"I'm Zack," he replied and smiled. "Sorry about scaring you, but they wanted this mission to be covert."

"Yeah, that makes sense," I whispered. "Are you in SOLDIER?"

"Yep and I'm here to rescue you!" Zack announced quietly and made his way over to Cloud. Zack pulled the injured infantryman up and threw him over his shoulder. "Sorry, Cloud, just hold on for a little while longer."

"They put the Vice President in a different room."

Zack turned back to me. "Sorry, Melody, but I'm only supposed to get you and Cloud. The Turks are going after him."

"Oh," I said and looked out the window. _That's a long jump. _I thought as my stomach churned.

He walked over to me and peered over the edge as well. "I'm going to have to jump down with Cloud. After that you're going to have to jump by yourself."

"Whoa, what?" I took a step back away from the window. "I can't do that; I have a horrible fear of heights."

"Don't worry; I'll catch you." Before I could respond to that he jumped.

I hurried over to the window and saw that Zack had landed safely like before. He set Cloud down against the wall and beckoned for me to jump. I was frozen in place. For the first time throughout that whole ordeal I was actually paralyzed in fear. Eventually I backed away again, unable to do what I needed to do. After calming myself down a little bit, I took a running start and leaped out the window.

It seemed like I fell for an eternity, my body light and weightless. I couldn't move my body at all and I was terrified at the prospect of falling to my death. Zack extinguished these fears by catching me easily in his arms.

He set me on the ground and brushed my hair out of my face. "See? I told you I wouldn't let you fall." He said as he smiled brightly at me.

I returned his smile but my relief vanished when I saw Kanos running up to us. "Zack, watch out!" I yelled and dove for Cloud.

Zack whipped around and pulled his sword off of the magnet on his back and it to Kanos' weapon. He pushed the AVALANCHE member back away from us. Kanos landed almost nimbly on his feet and charged at us again. Zack back stepped away from Kanos' attack and slashed his sword in an upward arc. Kanos yowled in pain and stepped back while gripping his arm, blood oozing from between his fingers.

After quickly assessing the damage that he had dealt, Zack retreated back to me and Cloud. He returned his sword to his back magnet and through Cloud over his shoulder. He grabbed my hand tightly and dragged us away from our adversary and around the building.

Alarms began to sound all throughout the area, and I wondered if the Turks had rescued Rufus yet. I squeezed Zack's hand and he squeezed mine back in return.

As we drew closer to the front of the building, I could see the AVALANCHE members scrambling to get outside. I looked closer and saw a light green gas permeating from the windows. "Are they poisoning them?!"

Zack took a quick glance at the building. "Well, that wasn't part of the plan," he commented and began to pull me away from the gas.

Gunshots and screams rang through the air and the sounds tore at my heart. Things like that rarely happened in my time; everyone was basically on the same wavelength and matching ideas. The whole kidnapping reminded me of just how violent that period was.

We rounded a corner and almost collided with Reno. "Hey!" He yelled and jumped back. "Watch ou—Melody?"

"Reno!" I exclaimed and smiled broadly at him.

He stepped closer to me and placed a hand on my unhurt shoulder. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I'll tell you later," I replied and looked around. "Did you get the Vice President yet? And why are you guys using chemical warfare?"

"Yeah, we got him. Veld's escorting him to the helicopter as we speak. As for the gas, that's not us. It's a suicidal security system that AVALANCHE made."

"That's crazy!" I exclaimed.

Reno took my hand from Zack. "Yeah, I know. C'mon, we gotta go!"

With Reno leading the way, we quickly arrived at the helicopter. Veld and Rufus were already inside, looking as if nothing had happened. After getting Cloud onboard, we jumped on and began to take off.

As we rose up off the ground, I took a quick look out the window. I suddenly caught Elfe's eyes and watched as sadness softened her features.

**Uh… I don't really have much to say about that chapter…-_- don't forget to review!**


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